Palestine-Israel, The joint struggle continue on background of degradation of Israeli legitimacy

When the Israeli leaders and high-ranking officers are afraid to go abroad because of pending war crimes indictments. When their anger and incitement are directed to the Israeli dissidents opposing 1967 occupation, the joint struggle continue and draw wider spectrum of Israeli radicals. The joint struggle expand even within the 1948 borders. Al-Araqeeb, Lod and Taibe (1948) and (1967) Beit Ummar, Bil'in, Al Ma'sara, Nabi Salih, Ni'ilin, Sheikh Jarrah, South of Hebron mountains. [Italiano]

Al-Araqeeb

"Police fire sponge bullets at Israeli citizens in al-Araqib

The Bedouin village of Al-Araqeeb was destroyed for the 9th time on Sunday morning in the wasteland of Israeli democracy. Today police forces were back in Al-Araqib destroying make-shift structures which had been erected over night. Villagers resisting the takeover have been arrested and beaten, with eyewitnesses reporting use of sponge bullets. Based on villagers’ and activists’ accounts, the state is planning a major offense to erase the village once and for all in order to make room for a forest to be planted by the Jewish National Fund (JNF).

As I write this, a group of Israeli citizens are standing in their family graveyard. The graveyard has stood in the same spot of land in the middle of Negev for the past eighty years. If they leave the area of the graveyard, they will be arrested. They remain in the graveyard watching their village being destroyed in front their eyes. Israeli activists from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem [of the AAtW, Ta'ayus, Solidarity Sheikh Jarrah and others] who joined them report that the police are firing sponge bullets to encourage the people to leave the graveyard. Between 6 and 13 people have been arrested for refusing to leave the village. Some of the arrested are reportedly being taken to the hospital due to police brutality during the arrests. The citizens standing in the graveyard are Bedouin and the state is erasing their village in order to plant a forest.

Since the summer of 2010, Israel has leveled the village of al-Araqeeb nine times. According to a press release from the Israeli activists group Hithabrut-Tarabut,

Tuesday, 18.1.11 early morning, a contingent of the anarchists against the wall and others went to El Arakib to defy the use of the Day Of Planting for transfer of the Araqeeb Bedouins, after the 10th demolition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqmWcnS3MA

Sunday, Be'er Sheva court farce

Activists demonstrated out of the court while the judge laundered the transfer activities of state against the indigenous Bedouins.

The demonstrators organized themselves in front of the wall in a large peace sign, with each person holding a picture of Pollak's face. This was in order to send a message to the world that the people of Bil'in are standing in peace against the occupation and the effect it has on those who take action against the it. The soldiers responded with spraying the demonstrators standing in the peace sign with waste water contaminated with chemicals, followed by tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber bullets. Dozens of people suffered from tear gas inhalation and from being sprayed with the waste water.
Israel before 14 hours, 29 minutes

Bil'in & Ma'sara

Solidarity with Jonathan Pollak

Two Friday demonstrations in the West Bank has been dedicated to the day of solidarity with the Speaker of the popular committees against the wall and settlements, Jonathan Pollak, one of the founders of the AAtW, who began serving a week ago three months imprisonment. The army responded with gas and arrests.

In Bil'in two hundred protesters [50 Israelis, about this number Internationals, and Palestinian of the village and from the region], marched to the separation fence and called for their release. When demo reached the fence, protesters formed a peace symbol-shaped, pose it on purpose to send the pictures to jail Hermon, where Jonathan is incarcerated. Then few demonstrators entered the route of the the fence to protect the barrier, hang the pictures on the electronic fence. The army was quick to intervene smelly skunk spraying water, the wind carried back at the soldiers.

The Eastern wind prevented the swift dispersing of demo with tear gas as the state force usually do, and the demonstration lasted another hour, facing some more skunk water and rather small amount of tear gas. The demonstrators were able to tear some of the outer fence, and some youths threw stones at the truck skunk. The relatively low level of violence of the army can be explained by the wind that also "benefited" the soldiers with skunk water tear gas, but mostly as a crew of Israeli TV 2 accompanied protesters.

Despite the media presence that caused the army to change the patterns of activity in the extreme, they could not restrain themselves long enough, and at the end of the demonstration after its end was declared and everyone began to return to the village the soldiers decided to cross the fence and run after the departing people, and started a massive fire of tear gas for about half an hour after the end of the demonstration. It will be interesting to see how the events will be reported in the Israeli TV 2.

Al Ma'sara

"Meanwhile in Ma'sara a smaller parade was held. 15 Israelis and few internationals joined a score of the villagers. They carried pictures of Jonathan Polk who was often arrested at the demonstration area. They were stopped by soldiers at the exit from the village towards the fence, not yet built. As the soldiers did not allow the march of protesters to exit from the village, most of them set on the road in protest. After few minutes, a high ranking officer hollered on the soldiers commanding them to push the demonstrators towards the village. Gradually the demo was dispersed. One Israeli demonstrator was arrested when he tried to bypass the soldiers."

This Friday the Nabi Salih demonstration against the occupation started in the neighboring village Beit Rima, from which a march to Nabi Salih went directly through the army post. Some 60 people marched through the road chanting songs of resistance. The army kept retreating until it stopped near Nabi Saleh village and allowed the protesters to pass through and arrive to Nabi Salih. Every Friday the Israeli army blocks all road entrances to Nabi Salih as a collective punishment measure for demonstrating. This time the demonstrators' first act was to break this siege.

After reaching the village, the demonstrators attempted to continue walking through the main street but were violently stopped by the army soldiers using stun grenades. One 10 year old boy was attacked by a soldier with pepper spray. After a while protesters went away from the soldiers. Some youth attempted to ward off the army incursion by stone throwing. The army took control of several roofs in the village, and used tear gas extensively inside the village populated area. Some youth managed to escape the army grip on the village and clashed with soldiers in the surrounding hill

During the last two weeks, the military has started using another familiar mode of oppression against the courageous people of Nabi-Salih - frequent night raids including house visits. Up until tonight, most of the incursions were focused on photographing the village youth, mainly of minors, and in many cases even of kids under 12 (not criminally liable).

Tonight, (Saturday) at around 2AM, the soldiers violently arrested a 14 years old in his house. He is currently anticipating interrogation.

Our friends would highly appreciate our presence in the village during the coming nights.

Please contact shxxxxxx@yahoo.com or 052-xxxxxxx (SMS would be much preferable during the day, thanks) if you can join tonight. Contact details for the rest of the week will be posted soon.

Lod

This Tuesday, 18\01\11 at the protest tent – Hellen Keller st. corner of Hamasger st. 18:00 – Vigil 19:00 Music Show:

"On Saturday January 22nd, 2011 we will visit the Southern Hebron Hills to clean water cisterns demolished by the army.

The Palestinian residents of the Southern Hebron Hills are dependent for their water supply on cisterns, located between the villages. The Civil Administration recently demolished 13 of these cisterns. The settlers and the military also prevent the Palestinians from accessing other cisterns in order to perform maintenance work, necessary to guarantee that the water drawn from them can still be used."
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See Previous reports at: http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com

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The approaching victory in the struggle to block the advance of the Zionist settler colonialist project and even to force it to retreat a bit do not make the real good people to like the enrolling of history. The approaching defeat make the Israeli elite take desperate steps and do its atrocities in the open. The efforts to transfer the Bedouins within 1948 borders and villagers in 1967 occupied territories escalate. The diminishing support of Israel by the imperial power due to changes in the dynamics of the region, world public opinions and economic losses it cause gradually change the power balance within the Israeli capitalist elite that may be expressed in the coming elections. On the ground, the joint struggle in Bil'in, Ni'lin, Ma'sara, Nebi Saleh, Sheikh Jarrah, Qaddum, and South Of Hebron Hills, is gradually expanding to other locations even without the "shield" of Israeli activists. [Italiano]

The old world order, in which US interests in the region East of the Mediterranean let Israel - a bastion of the US - continue with its Zionist settler colonialist in the 1967 occupied Palestine, has ended. Europe has started to advance its own interests, which are not in accord with the Israeli bastion. The independent steps of Europe are enhanced by its public opinion against Israeli colonialism to which the joint struggle in the West Bank contributes a lot. It was the approach of the imminent crisis that forced the Israeli Prime minister to call for elections, to save himself from the normally-timed election when the crisis would be the main agenda. The murder of the Palestinian minister of the popular struggles has focused attention on the ferment and rising of the popular non-armed struggles of which Israel is contemplating suppression with systematic use of live ammunition. [Italiano]

Israel was built mainly by the national socialists who owned 75% of the economy in 1949. Due to dependence on the imperial powers the so-called socialist elite invested a lot in building the Zionist-capitalist elite to which it lost power in 1977. Conflicts of interest within the Zionist-capitalist elite started to change the balance between the small tycoons section that supported the Zionist wish to transfer the Palestinians out and the capitalist section that integrated in the neo-liberal globalization who wish to exploit the Palestinians and the workers of neighboring countries. The restructuring of power relations in global capitalism after the last crisis had its Israeli expression in the near-bankruptcy of the tycoon elite and the present collapse of the government coalition. The economic damage which has already resulted from the B.D.S. campaign which is enhanced by the joint struggle seems to be hastening a shift in the balance of powers.

By Zaher Baher from Haringey Solidarity Group and Kurdistan Anarchists Forum

Below is the outcome of my visit to Northern Kurdistan in Turkey between 02/11/14 to 08/11/14 as one of a delegation from United Kingdom, organised by Peace in Kurdistan Campaign (PIK), People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and Democratic Society Congress (DTK).

The popular unarmed struggle of Palestinian communities joined by the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall and others is not a struggle for the "national liberation" or "self determination" of the Palestinian nation. It is the struggle of Palestinian people, of which the overwhelming majority are working people, against the threat of transfer and the suppression and exploitation by the Israeli Zionist settler colonialist project. None of those involved in the struggle who are not in the Palestinian elite have illusions about the Palestinian elite and the state they will rule and manage after the end of the occupation. None of those involved in the struggle believe that the end of the direct occupation will solve the 1948 Nakba and the refugee problems. However, they still prefer the end of the occupation and independence from Israel, over direct Israeli rule, as it will not be an agent of transfer or of such brutal suppression and exploitation. [Italiano]

The war on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip continues for the 13th day. Demonstrations against Israeli warmongering continue both in Israel and throughout the world. All that Israel wants in this war that it has initiated is to thwart a Palestinian unity government and curb the peace agreements it might speed up. The danger of Hamas' surrender to the Palestinian Authority in the heels of its economic crisis has resulted from the actions of the new Egyptian government, which seriously threatens the project of splitting the Palestinians, something that Israel has invested extraordinary efforts in. Only the total collapse of Hamas rule in Gaza scares Israel more than that. However, due to internal problems among the Israel political elite and public opinion, the government refrained from revealing the true nature of the war, which is to stabilize independent Hamas rule in Gaza and prevent the need for Hamas to surrender to the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank. So, instead the Israeli government has exaggerated the reports about attacks against Hamas and is hiding the real agenda - the obstruction of Palestinian unity. [Italiano]

When the European pressure on Israel to compromise with the Palestinian elite collected momentum - already diminishing exports, Israel tried to take advanced of the kidnapped three settlers youth applying "plans from the drawer" trying to ignite armed Intifada. Nearly three weeks of propaganda based on lies (as if they are searching for the already known to them to be dead three youth) was all over the media. When lastly the bodies were "found", lies were exposed, and the harassments failed to ignite Intifada. The mounted hate crimes of the Israeli extreme right and murder of a Palestinian youth of the annexed East Jerusalem ignited an extreme response there and within the Palestinian regions within the 1948 borders. Vicious harassment of US-Palestinian youth - cousin of the murdered youth which was video typed became together with the video of the kidnapped cousin became viral all over the world and ignited solidarity demos all over the world. [Italiano]

Many objections were raised about the participation of Israelis in the non-armed struggle in the areas of Palestine occupied in the 1967 war. Some, mostly Palestinians, regarded it as a contribution to so called "normalization". Others claimed that Israeli activists should do their struggle within the Israeli population of the 1948 borders. Many anarchists raised reservations as the Palestinian popular struggle is a kind of capitalist "national independence struggle" for the self-determination of the Palestinian capitalist elite to monopolize the option for the exploitation of the Palestinian working masses - they just ignore the fact that most Palestinians wish for a bi-national democratic whole Palestine and not for a national Palestinian State. Others just do not take upon themselves the obligation to serve as a life-saving shield, as Israeli policy officially forbids the state forces to shoot to kill when Israelis are supposed to be among the demonstrators. Indigenous people struggle against settler colonialist transfer and marginalization is NOT the same as a national Bourgeoisie for "national independence" or "national self-determination". [Italiano]

Week after week, on weekend and in the week-days to anarchists and other activists insist of leaning our Shoulders on the wheels of history that revolve too slow and push them as much as we can. There is not much of energy in the masses and many activists lost the urge to participate, but still many of us persist and join the meager efforts of the Palestinians who resist the advancing transfer efforts of the Israeli Zionist project and its state forces. The international solidarity activists who join us bring with them the echoes of world wide expanding support and the message that our struggle contribute a lot to it. The frustrated Israeli state forces continue their murderous efforts to extinguish the popular struggle adding live ammunition from time to time like the last week at the demo in Bitunia (near the Ofer concentration camp) but retreat under mounting international pressure. [Italiano]

The mounting pressure of world imperial powers seems to cause a section of Israel capitalist elite to accept the compromise offered by the Palestinian elite. Another section still want to delay the deal either to enjoy the short term gains or to improve the deal. They think that they can delay the settlement till the November election in the US with out any risk. Mean time the creeping transfer efforts continue mainly in the C areas of the occupied west bank and the suppression of Palestinian popular rebellion. The popular struggle continue both to slow the creeping transfer and to recruit international pressure to quicken the end of occupation. The joint struggle in the south Hebron hill help the Palestinian farmers Tsumud (persistence), in he Sheik Jarakh it help to curb the transfer in the East of Jerusalem. In Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Qaddum, and Ma'asara it help to freeze the murderous suppression of the popular struggle at large.

The Kobane resistance that has passed its 45th day as of now has caused the attention of revolutionaries all over the world to turn to Rojava. As a result of the work carried out by Revolutionary Anarchist Action (DAF), anarchist comrades from many parts of the world have sent messages of solidarity to the Kobane resistance.(1) This internationalist stance without a doubt carries great importance for the people resisting in Kobane. However if we do not analyze what is happening in all its truth and if we romanticize instead, our dreams will turn to disappointment in short order.

The main features of the Syrian revolution are its youthful, spontaneous aspect, and the fact that it was created on the streets and is linked directly to the people. It is a revolution without centralized control, led by insurgent individuals. Consequently, no-one can claim to govern it or lead and the reason is simple: the young insurgents rose up spontaneously and there are no signs of participation by religious elements, whose ideas are extremely reactionary, or indeed by any other tendency. [العربية ]

From 5-15 April 2009, a member of Anarchists Against the Wall, Haggai Matar (well-known also for his anti-militarist work, since he was one of the first of the new wave of political objectors to military service), will be in Italy for a speaking tour with the dual aim of providing updates on the current situation in the struggle against the wall and the occupation, and of collecting funds for the activities of AAtW. If you can, please come to one of the events below. If you are unable to attend but you want to contribute to the work of AAtW, please log on to http://awalls.org/donations for details on how to do so. [Italian]

Anarchists Against the Wall and the Bil'in Popular Committee exemplify the nonviolent resistance to the Israeli-built "Separation Wall" on Palestinian land, as well as steadfastness in the diverse grass-root campaigns against the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Ahmad Husam Yousef Mousa, 10 years old, was murdered yesterday as he demonstrated together with his friends against the separation wall which is being constructed on the lands of his village Ni'ilin. When Ahmad and his friends reached the construction site the soldiers shot rubber bullets at them and they began to
retreat. At that point one of the soldiers shot a live round at Ahmad's head from a distance of about 10 meters.